HELPING FARMERS.

Thames Star, Volume LXII, Issue 17449, 11 October 1928, Page 4

HELPING FARMERS.

The decision of the Agricultural Department to gradually curtail the State Experimental Farms and oso the money so saved in providing experts to visit farms 'and conduct experiments thereon, in conjunction with the farmers, will meet with general approval. Farmers are busy men, and are .unable, in consequence, to travel far - to visit experimental farms. Further, conditions \aiy in each district. The experimental farm conducting successful experi-. ments on one quality of soil. provides no criterion that the farmer at ,a distance will meet with similar success on dissimilar land. The State Farm is, therefore, not very convincing. But when the experiment is carried out on the farmer’s own land or that of a near neighbour he can watch the experimentation in its successive stages. His interest is thereby kept alive, and when success is achieved he is more inclined to adopt the methods indicated by the successful experiment. Personal observation is preferred bj the farmer to the reading of technical reports, no matter with what care the latter are prepared. We should like to see an experimental plot laid down on’the Hauraki Plains to study the problems of that territory. ’ .This is a matter we have urged for some years without success.. Perhaps our endeavours have not been in vain.